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Explore the latest news and features by our world-class aviation journalists. Stay up to date on the latest military aviation developments, commercial airline news, historic restoration projects, flight simulation releases and much more.
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Israel-Hamas War Boeing 747 RAF Concorde Vulcan Ukraine Russia War
Historic
Blackbird tales from the most experienced SR-71 pilot
Lt Col Bredette Thomas (Ret’d), who has the highest number of hours on the SR-71 Blackbird of any pilot, tells Dino Carrara about his extensive career on this remarkable aircraft during the Cold War.
Flying the F-4 Phantom in Vietnam
Colonel Richard H Graham (ret’d) is best known as an SR-71 Blackbird pilot – but he earlier flew 210 combat missions in the F-4 during the Vietnam War, some of which were in the Wild Weasel role.
Wellesbourne Vulcan XM655 runs off runway
Avro Vulcan B.2 XM655 was involved in a taxiing incident at Wellesbourne on September 16.
Nimrod crew tribute unveiled in Scotland
The Morayvia Museum at Kinloss in Scotland recently unveiled a memorial to crew members lost in three Nimrod crashes
VIDEO: Behind the scenes with marathon Dragon Rapide restoration
Volunteer Ken Pye talks about the de Havilland Aircraft Museum’s resurrection of a classic airliner
Military
Ukrainian fighter pilots use F-16 simulators at Morris ANGB
Two Ukrainian Air Force pilots are using F-16 flight simulators in the US as part of a programme to assess their training needs, a defense official has said
USAF plots retirement of more than 300 aircraft in 2024
As the USAF seeks to free up funding for various modernisation programmes, the air arm has revealed its desire to divest a staggering 310 aircraft from operational service – including 32 F-22A Block 20 Raptor fifth-generation air superiority fighters – as part of its FY24 budget request
Spain opts to acquire additional PC-21s
Having already ordered an initial batch of 24 turboprop-driven Pilatus PC-21s in early 2020, the Spanish Air and Space Force has further bolstered its commitment to the platform by acquiring a further 16 examples from the Swiss aircraft manufacturer, making it the largest operator of the PC-21 in Europe
Commercial
The microlight revolution
Will 3-axis microlights take over from GA light aircraft as the sport aircraft of choice? Nick Spall took to the skies to find out what makes them special
Wizz Air begins flights from Cardiff
Low-cost carrier Wizz Air has today launched its new base at Cardiff Airport with nine new routes using a single Airbus A321neo.
Special Report: Why are UK airports in chaos right now?
After more than two years of subdued demand, airports across the United Kingdom are struggling to cope with a sharp spike in passenger numbers. A heady mix of factors has created a complicated cocktail of chaos for airport bosses, as Gordon Smith explains
How Airbus is repurposing its fleet of BelugaSTs
With a new generation of aircraft in the pipeline, Airbus’ exclusive fleet of BelugaSTs are now available for hire, as Ian Harbison explains
DHL 757 runway excursion: what we know
A DHL de Guatemala Boeing 757-200PCF suffered a runway excursion on landing at Juan Santamaria Airport, Costa Rica on April 7.
Flight Simulation
Kola Peninsula for DCS World Incoming
Eagle Dynamics, in collaboration with Orbx, has announced the development of a new terrain module for DCS: the Kola Peninsula.
Just Flight 757-200/300 Development Update
BlueBird Simulations and Just Flight have released a new development update for the upcoming 757 for Microsoft Flight Simulator.
PMDG 737-600 Touches Down in Microsoft Flight Simulator
PMDG has announced the 737-600 for Microsoft Flight Simulator is now available.